Cirrian
by Cirra's Legacy
Summary: Xena has an encounter with a Time traveling Dragon that has an obsession with Callisto workin on the sequal... it's better, hopefully will wipe the stain of this story off my record


Cirrian  
  
  
Profile:  
U3 is a Dragon that resembles a snake. He has a metallic appendage that protrudes from his back. It branches into three curved claws up and one down it resembles a peace sign without the circle. It also has his name on it. Inside the appendage consists of is the AR-5000 computer system, replicator, light speed propulsion unit and a mysterious particle simulator. It helps if you have a picture of an upside-down peace sign when you read this story to see what I'm talking about. The appendage is all silver. U3 as I said before is a serpent with arms he also has a few tubes going over his body. He has a crescent like structure on the side of his body it's clear and it sometimes lights inside flick on and off.  
  
It was once said by a famous writer, "A sci-fi story shouldn't be measured by the technology and how and why something happens, It's the characters behind the technology that make the story great" I'm really pushing the envelope with this story, but I had fun writing it. It took me over 5 or 6 years to finish it but I had fun and I think that the sequel will be equally as fun.  
  
Chapter 1:Callsito & U3 meet  
  
Aries approached the collapsed cave entrance where Callisto was buried under many heavy boulders.  
"Oh Callisto, look what you've gotten yourself into now!" He said to himself. Aries faced the cave, lifted his hand and the rocks exploded from the cave wall.  
"Thank you," came a high pitched hissing voice from behind him, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up and I would have to do that myself but once again A-R-5 was right, exactly 12:47:30 A.M."  
Aries replied "So you are...?"  
"Allow me to introduce myself," U3 lowered head and extended his arms to his sides," I am The Ultimate Sea Dragon 3000...That's too long...call me U3 Kay?"  
"Well if you don't mind, U3, I need to get Callisto. She needs to be trained to be a Goddess, so... Bye!"  
"I'm sorry, my ears must be failing me. Did you say trained!?" U3 looked shocked "I don't think she wants to be put through any more betrayal from you, or Xena or anybody else!"  
At this point in time Callisto emerged out of the cave. After she appeared she let out a long yawn along with a few stretches. Seeing Aries again made her mind light up from it's daze. She smiled that trademark smirk.  
"ARIES!" Callisto yelled.  
U3 nearly jumped out of his skin. He responded to his terror by winking out of his position and behind the goddess in which Callisto responded with a back elbow to U3's face. He recoiled as if she hit a major organ.  
"Don't sneak up behind me!" Callisto's eyes became purple and pulsed with electricity "Got it?"  
"Yes," U3 said gave what seemed to be a flirting smile; "One thing the legends didn't prepare me for is the extreme beauty of the final Cirrian."  
"Flattery will get you no-where." Callisto cocked her head to the side.  
"Yes, of course, one thing though," U3 said.  
"Which is?"  
U3 pointed to the sky behind Callisto "What the Heck is That!?"  
Callisto turned to look but saw the sky, "I don't-"  
She fell to the ground, hard. When she regained what happened she saw U3 looming and smirking above her. He had used his large tail to knock her feet from under her when she wasn't looking. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Aries laughing like a hyena.  
"That's the oldest trick in the book but I didn't come here to fight you, Callisto," U3 looked at Aries," Don't you just hate it when others laugh at your misfortune? I know I do."  
U3 seemed to stare off into the distance past Aries, nothing seemed to happen then the ground began to shake a little bit, things began to rise off the earth from the energy that U3 was grasping from an unknown source. The climax of U3's power was spectacular he began to flash reds and greens a dazzling assortment of colors which abruptly ended in a spectacular blast of golden energy towards Aries which gave a tremendous THOOM.  
"-Cough- -Hack- Oh, Impressive -Cough-," Aries sputtered sarcastically  
"Leave now before I decide to go to level 18 magic." U3 threatened  
The god and the dragon looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity.  
Aries broke the silence, "I've spent enough time here I've got more important things to attend to."  
U3 gave a satisfied smile.  
"But!" Aries threatened, "Don't believe that this is over, no, not by a long shot"  
With that Aries erupted into smoke and light. U3 let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Chapter 2: Encampment  
  
"Level 18 magic?" Callisto questioned  
"Yes," U3 jerked to attention, "I believe an introduction is in order I am known as The Ultimate Sea Dragon 3000 just call me U3. I need you to help me get Xena's attention, What's the quickest way?"  
"I'll tell you but you've got to tell me a few things O.K.?" Callisto asked and smiled coyly.  
"I shall tell you whatever you wish." U3 bowed his head towards Callisto.  
"Good, What did you do to Aries and what's level 18 magic?"  
U3 smiled, "A god's power is only limited by his own imagination and level 18 magic sounds a lot better than I'll zap you harder."  
"So you're a God?"  
U3 looked at Callisto with quiet shock and admiration, "My, my, aren't you clever?"  
Callisto merely moved her head to her left, "Yes, I'd like to think so, now are you or aren't you?"  
U3 paused for a moment and answered with a smile, "No, I'm not.... at least not anymore."  
Callisto asked incredulously, "What!?"  
U3 covered, "Let's just say that they haven't discovered my full potential yet,"  
Callisto was about to say something but U3 cut her off, "Now how about giving me the information that I requested"  
"From my most recent encounter with Xena I made her hurt as much as me and I didn't feel any better. So why should I try to get her attention again and risk my neck?"  
"-Sigh-I didn't want to tell you this;" U3 gave Callisto a look that sent a chill down her back.  
"What?" She asked.  
U3 said two words "Dahok lives."  
Callisto sat looking into U3's eyes absorbing what he just said.  
"Now," U3 began, "what do we do?"  
"We?" Callisto said as she snapped out of her trance "since when did we become a team?"  
"I figure you want to get back at Dahok's bitch that made you look the fool." U3's eyes became yellow slits "Unless... you are a fool."  
Callisto grabbed U3 by the neck "Do you want this to become physical?"  
"I could never defend myself against such beauty." U3's comment came out gurgly and choked.  
"You're very strange... burn down villages in her name." Callisto said.  
"Wha?" U3 questioned.  
"That's the answer burn down villages in Xena's name." Callisto said.  
"Yes, Yes I heard but tell me this," U3 said "what's a village?"  
  
Chapter 3:The Village  
  
THROOM!!! U3 let out another gigantic stream of flame towards another small shack. Callisto was too busy slaughtering peasants to notice.  
"Hey Callisto," U3 called after the goddess "Come here please."  
"Can it wait? I'm kind of busy!" Callisto replied.  
"If some of the peasants escape news will travel faster!" U3 shouted  
"All right fine! I hope this is good!" She said as she kicked a man off her sword.  
U3 pointed over Callisto's shoulder; "Do you see something on that mountain?"  
"I don't know what do you see?" She turned around to look at the thing.  
Callisto was suddenly up-rooted and once again she was looking at the sky and U3 over her.  
"He he he ha ha ha! You keep falling for that one don't you! Ha ha ha" U3 said.  
U3's face was a huge grin of teeth; Callisto was not so amused by this action. She grabbed U3 by his neck, threw him down and jammed her knee up U3's ribcage.  
U3 was shocked his eyes bulged and all that came out was "Cough Cough" and some computer noises, after a few moments he had recovered "Well, I won't do that again!"  
Just then a round disk came sailing from the heavens and bounced off U3's computer system "Whoa! What was that?"  
"That was Xena's Chacramm," Callisto gave U3's face a punch, "Why? You haven't heard of that either I suppose!"  
Meanwhile the chacram zoomed back to its owner's hand, behind the two quarreling beings.  
"Great now Xena's here and I'm barely prepared for what she's going to say!" U3's forked tongue came inches from Callisto's lips. She responded to this by biting it U3 gave a hiss of discomfort but little else and lifted Callisto off himself with his tail.  
Xena started off threatening but trailed off as she saw just who Callisto was arguing with, "Just what do you... think...? You are... you are..."  
After he got Callisto off himself he "stood up." U3 was a good foot higher than Xena but he was kind enough to bring his head down to her eye level.  
"Xena! So good of you to join us! Where's the little blonde? Um Flaprielle? Babrielle?" U3 asked.  
"Gabrielle?" Xena said still a little stunned.  
"Right, Right, Gabrielle Where is she?" U3 said.  
"Let me get this straight, You're burning down a village and you expect me to tell you where my best friend is?"  
"What? Oh that's right I'm burning down the village!" U3 extended his hand out to his left, "Thanks for reminding me!" U3 said and blew another flame ball at another shack.  
"I can't let you continue destroying this village!" Xena said.  
U3 snapped and shook his head from side to side, "Oh Boo-Hoo! It's not like you haven't destroyed enough lives already!"  
"That was then, this is now!" with that she swung her sword at U3's abdomen.  
U3 caught the blade fast with his thick palm.  
"That was fast... I will repair the damage that I have (and will) cause if you will help me find Dahok and suspend him. Do we have a deal?" U3 extended his paw and smiled a toothy grin.  
"Why should I trust you?" Xena said.  
"Well someone must have trusted you once... I'm remembering... ahh yes Lao-Ma. She trusted you didn't she?" U3 said camly and smiled.  
Xena was back to being stunned, "How do you know her!?"  
"Why do we need her!?" Callisto butted in.  
"Because we need a mortal's hands to suspend Dahok, and what better a mortal than Xena: Warrior Princess?" U3 deepened his gaze on Xena.  
Xena's mind was ablaze with questions, but something told her that she could trust him, and if dahak was around still, then she would be fighting him soon enough anyways.  
"All right but you fulfill your part of the bargain first." Xena shook U3's arm.  
"Very well." U3 touched his three fingers together and with a brilliant light the village was back to normal and the streets were bustling with people and merchants unaware of the giant serpent in there midst. "Shall we?"  
  
Chapter 4: U3's explanation  
  
After a day of traveling and U3 being completely quiet Xena broke his silence.  
"We need to make camp."  
"I agree," Callisto said, "The mortals need there sleep."  
"I'm sorry I don't know much of your ways," U3 said, "I don't know how much you sleep or eat. Heck I don't even know how often your hearts beat!"  
"You didn't come very prepared. Did you U-ie?" Callisto said, "I'm beginning to believe your mission is not even about Dahok!"  
"I'm not keeping you here." U3 replied.  
"I guess I could tell you about humans as long as you answer some of my questions as well." Gabrielle said in an effort to avoid a conflict.  
"Yes, that would be quite satisfactory," U3 gave a comforting smile to Gabrielle and led her off into the darker parts of the encampment.  
  
"Yah, know," Callisto began, "I've always wondered how my life would've been like if you hadn't killed my family. Probably some sort of common-folk maybe a mage or a merchant. Could have even fallen in love, had a child. Like you."  
Xena was fed up, "That's Enough! How DARE you talk about Solan like that!"  
"Oh you want to kill me so bad but you can't, You can't physically or emotionally kill me! I am that stain that you can NEVER get rid of! You think that you are so righteous now that you have decided to deny that you past even EXISTED! WELL GUESS WHAT!? I'M STILL HERE XENA AND I DON'T PLAN ON LEAVING ANYTIME SOON!!!"  
At this point Xena twirled around and was about to sink her dagger into Callisto's throat but U3 had heard the commotion and was instantly digging his sharp claws into Xena's arm making a sharp growl and would have snapped her arm in two if not for Gabrielle's intervention. Gabrielle swung her Amazon staff into the giant metal protecting his back. It drew his attention from Xena for only a few moments but that was enough time for Xena to grab her chakram and imbed it into his skull. U3 turned his head to look at Xena. He looked eerie he didn't even seem aware that there was a circle protruding from his head.  
"It's not time to spill my blood yet." U3 turned his head to look at Callisto and pulled the chakram from his head to hand it to Xena, "You all right?"  
"I'm a god, and I can fend for myself thank you!"  
"Never mind," U3 said, "All right now that I have all of your attention I would like to tell you all why I'm here and any other questions that might be in your heads. -Ahem- Where should I begin?"  
"How about where you're from?" Gabrielle asked.  
"Excellent question, I'm from Egypt around 980 B.C." U3 said.  
"What is B.C.?" Callisto said.  
"You'll find out." U3 said with a grin.  
"What's the thing on your back?" Gabrielle asked  
U3 smiled, "He he he Ha ha ha ha ha! How come every race that I've visited asks that question AR5?"  
"Insufficient data to complete over 50% accurate analysis" said AR5.  
"(It's a Comp... Uh... Um... It's a... Well um... It's a really small colony of people Yeah that's right." U3 looked uncomfortable.  
"Really? Can I see it?" Gabrielle asked.  
"Let's leave this subject." U3 said with a grin. "I'm surprised none of you have asked me how I plan to keep Dahok dormant!"  
"Yes," Callisto said, "How do you plan to accomplish that?"  
"Aha! Good question Callisto." U3 replied sarcastically.  
U3 said "Actually, I can only slow his entry that will give the good Xena enough time to properly destroy the thing and I want to help her accomplish this..."  
U3 pulled off the flashing crescent that instantly stopped illuminating and turned a goldish color he then pulled off a tube and inserted it into the crescent. It made a hissing sound until he pulled it off. He then placed it into Callisto's hands.  
"Pass it around as I explain." U3 said.  
She did so.  
U3 said, "What that is, is a Bone Slycer make sure you hold it carefully it will easily live up to it's name the stuff inside is an Acidic Blood that is far superior to your own. It will kill anything that I know of in a matter of seconds"  
The party stayed quiet as they looked at it.  
"Allow me to demonstrate."  
U3 looked at the Bone Slycer and said "tree"  
The thing took off and imbedded itself into the closest tree, it glowed green for a fraction of a second then crumbled to mucus. The Slycer twirled in mid-air then swooped back to U3's side.  
Everyone stared at U3 in silence.  
U3 broke the silence "We all need rest, even I have become fatigued Good night."  
With that U3 took off AR5 and laid down for his slumber. Gabrielle took one last look at the fire and retired as well. Xena looked at Callisto... Callisto looked at Xena both hating each other for what the other did. Callisto broke the stare and went to sleep after five minuets. Finally after she was sure that they wouldn't be bothered Xena fell asleep too.  
  
Chapter 5: Restlessness in the night  
  
U3 opened his eye to see if everyone was asleep. Instead of his normal dull yellow glow his eye shown bright red. Seeing everyone there he got up.  
"Hibernation mode is still active," AR5 said quietly, "Do you wish to abort, continue or sleepwalk?"  
"Shhhh sleepwalk." U3 said.  
U3 slithered over to Callisto and ran his hand through her hair.  
"Well Callisto I'd better do it right this time, I've ran out of antimatter to send through my particle simulator to allow me time travel back to Dragonia IV. Let's just hope that the 40th time is the charm. God, has it been that long? You'd think after that many times you'd think one of the outcomes would keep you alive." He brushed her cheek with his claws she frowned with discomfort and rolled over.  
Then he made himself lie back down to sleep. He never woke the goddess up.  
  
Chapter 6: Grekar  
  
U3 had woke up everybody early the next morning. His excuse for wakening everyone up was that they had no time to waste getting to where they were going. After half of the day was spent walking Callisto spoke up.  
"You have no idea where we're going do you?" Callisto said.  
"Yes I do," U3 replied, "I just don't know where we are."  
"Great so we're lost! Xena do you know where we are?" Callisto said.  
"We're in the lava beds of Let-tal." Xena said.  
"Hmmmm Let-tal, Let-tal where have I herd of- Oh crud we need to get out of here now!" U3 said.  
The dried lava bed began to crack and break and a giant lava elemental burst from the ground.  
"I AM THE INDESTRUCTIBLE GREKAR," the thing said, "I SHALL MASH YOU INTO A PASTE!!"  
Grekar was over 10 meters tall and was composed of molten rock. His eyes were flaming orbs and he had a medium build (If you could call any thing on him medium)  
"Wow," U3 said, "He's pretty big. Anybody have a giant ice cube on them?"  
"Ice what?" Xena said.  
U3 said, "You'll see."  
The water in U3's eyes began to crystallize over. The other members of the small group could feel the air become a lot colder and Gabrielle shivered with the coolness. A blast of blue energy shot from the tips of AR5 and made the lava man freeze over. It only lasted for a few seconds and Grekar burst from the ice sending searing hot water everywhere.  
"HA HA HA HA! IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?" Grekar said.  
"Anybody have any suggestions?" U3 asked.  
"We could dump him in a lake." Gabrielle said.  
Callisto said tauntingly "OK where is this lake?"  
U3 looked up at the mound "Grekar?"  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT POWER-WORM?" Grekar replied.  
U3 closed his eyes with disgust, "Why do you want to destroy us?"  
"ARIES COMMANDS IT!" Grekar said.  
"Oh?" U3 said.  
Xena butted in "Why listen to Aries? A powerful titan like you can fend for himself!"  
"HA HA HA HA!! I SERVE ARIES SO HE AND THE OTHER GODS DON'T DESTROY ME!!" Grekar began, "ARIES WOULD BOIL ME ALIVE IF HE FOUND OUT THAT I WAS EVEN THINKING ABOUT BETRAYING HIM!"  
All the time that Grekar and Xena were talking U3 pulled off his crescent and it began to fill with his green fluid.  
"Enough talk," U3 said, "It's time for your untimely demise!"  
"MY WHAT?"  
"Your death! You're not intelligent enough to live." U3 twirled the crescent in his hand.  
Grekar said sarcastically, "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME WITH THAT!?"  
U3 used his arm like a sling to throw the crescent. It made the sound of millions of lost souls. It imbedded itself into the giant mound of lava.  
"HA HA HA THAT TASTED GOOD, POWER WORM!! I... I... FEEL... funny..." Grekar looked as if he were about to be sick. He fell over and green fluid began to pulse through Grekar's body.  
Gabrielle asked "What did you do to him?"  
U3 smiled at Gabrielle, "The green fluid I pumped into the crescent is my blood. I have an offensive immune system so in essence it's my body against his and it looks as if I'm winning. You do realize that once he's dead lava is going to be thrown everywhere when he dies, don't you?"  
Then Xena said "We should get somewhere high then!"  
U3 shot back, "I'm not leaving until I get my crescent back everything depends on it."  
Then Callisto said, "Fine then stay here and die!"  
With that she teleported Gabrielle, Xena and herself away.  
"Foolish god," U3 said.  
He slithered up inches from Grekar's eyes and gave him a stone-cold look.  
U3 said, "I can save you but you have to do as I say."  
Grekar stuttered, "Aries W-WIll not -BE ple-ased with TH-is ac-T-ion."  
U3 replied, "I don't care! If I can bring down a titan then I can bring down a god with not much more effort."  
Grekar smiled and began to laugh in his deafening voice at this range it stunned U3 for a few seconds and before he could recover lava began to flow from the place where the crescent had entered.  
*****  
Callisto had teleported the three of them to atop the nearby volcano. Fortunately it was not active at the time  
"Can't you see any thing Xena?" Callisto said.  
Xena was straining her eyes to see what was happening.  
Xena said, "All he's doing is standing there can't he see the lava coming out Grekar's mouth?"  
Just then Grekar exploded sending molten rock everywhere.  
Xena said, "Gabrielle take cover!!"  
The three of them ran behind a large rock.   
After a few moments of random debris falling Callisto said, "Well that's the end of U3!"  
As she said this AR5 sailed from the heavens and clanged to a stop beside them. It glowed for a moment and then made another U3.  
The U3 said, "U3; 4,051 has been disintegrated U3; 4,052 is now initialized downloading memory... download complete. Hi every body! Did you miss me?"  
U3 gave everyone a smile.  
Then AR5 said, "No residual antimatter left you'd better die again!"  
"That was fun!" Callisto said sarcastically  
  
Chapter7: You take the high road...  
  
After that incident U3 was very quiet and would not talk. He explained that talking during the day only disrupts your breathing pattern. After the tents had gone up, Gabrielle came over to Xena. U3 talked quietly with Callisto acrost from them, both not hearing Xena and Gabrielle's conversation....  
"So Xena," Gabrielle began "what do you think about leaving U3 and Callisto here and finding Dahok by ourselves? Its not like we can't take him on we have defeated Dahok before and I personally think that U3 doesn't know where he's going!"  
Xena replied, "I would love to leave those two idiot gods behind, but if (and I stress if) U3 is correct we'll need his magic to ward off Dahok."  
Gabrielle continued her argument, "And what if he's wrong there is a lot of responsibility to being Xena. Many people count on you!"  
"If Dahok is loose," Xena said, "there will be nothing to protect or defend and there may not be a Xena"  
Gabrielle glared at the other two members of the group, "I just wish that she would shrivel up and die. I've got to clear my head."  
With that Gabrielle picked up her staff and left the camp while Xena sharpened her sword.  
Meanwhile...  
U3 said "So what's it like being a god?"  
Callisto replied, "I don't feel any different... Of course I haven't felt anything since I was seven or six years old."  
U3 asked "Why do you shut out all of your emotions that are pleasant? Does that make you fight better?"  
Callisto looked up at U3 in a cold stare "I don't know... Perhaps you'd like to find out?"  
"Sorry!! I'm just trying to make conversation jeez!" U3 threw up his arms with disgust, "...a lot different than the legends."  
Xena looked up from her sword sharpening for a few moments, "What legends?"  
"Callisto is-" U3 stopped himself and looked at Xena, "Hey I can't tell you! I-I mean.. Theeeeey can only be spoken in my tongue."  
At this time Gabrielle came over and started talking with Xena.  
U3 said quietly to Callisto, "You really miss your parents?"  
Callisto's jaw jutted out, "Does it matter? They were murdered and I survived life goes on."  
"Not for you. You are dead right now as we speak."  
Callisto replied confused, "My heart's still beating isn't it?"  
U3 said, "Yes but it's not pumping with a purpose. Don't you feel hollow?"  
Callisto stopped looking in U3's eyes, "No I-"  
U3 cut her off, "After Hope had Solan killed you relished the feeling of Xena hurting as much as you did... but after those few moments you felt hollow and empty... and you still do... Don't you?"  
"So what if I do!? You can't do anything about it!"  
"I can give you new reasons for living... if you want them."  
Callisto gave U3 a growl and stormed off leaving U3 by himself. He stared into the flames of the campfire.  
Xena piped up, "You like her don't you?"  
U3 looked at her and went back to the campfire.  
Xena continued, "Don't you know what she's done?"  
"I know exactly who she is and especially what she's done. I know who you are and what you've done too."  
Xena said, "And you think you can change Callisto like I was changed."  
"I have no intention of changing her," U3 added quietly, "I'm just hoping to keep her alive..."  
  
  
Chapter 8: We'll take the low road...  
  
The rest of the night had been pretty uneventful. The morning was different. Gabrielle was missing when Xena woke up. She immediately kicked U3 in the ribs to get him to wake up.  
Xena shouted, "Where's Gabrielle!?"  
U3 swished his head back and forth to knock the sleep from his eyes, "She said that she needed to rid herself of waste... why?"  
Xena shouted back "Well she's not here now!"  
"Oh," U3 replied "Is that unusual?"  
"What do you mean? She never came back!?" Xena was shouting at U3 when Callisto woke up from her sleep.  
U3 defended himself, "I don't know how long you humans need to get rid of your waste products!"  
Xena replied, "You would think that it wouldn't take an entire night!"  
Callisto said groggily, "Isn't it a bit too early to be arguing?"  
U3's eyes widened and then became more normal, "That's an incredible feeling... such pure unbridled evil... Callisto can you feel it too?"  
"Feel wha-" At that moment a tingle went up her spine she remembered it well. It was the same feeling that she had felt when Hope was around... only more intense.  
"Were close" U3 looked at Xena, "I believe its time I taught you how to use my crescent... follow me, I'll teach you on the way."  
"Hold it!!" Xena said, "We're just going to leave Gabrielle to just roam through the forest and hope that she finds us!?"  
"Do you have a better idea?" U3 replied.  
"Yes we all stay here and wait for her."  
"There is no time for that!" U3 began, "If she is still alive and is still able to walk you might not want to find her."  
Xena just looked at U3 for a moment then said, "All right but we must leave a letter for her."  
"She'll be all right. Trust me." U3 said.  
  
Chapter 9: "Brotherly" Love  
  
"No, No, NO! You're letting the crescent control itself!" U3 let out a sigh and then held his head with his left hand, "Try it again."  
It had been five hours before Xena could even get the thing to go over 10 feet.  
"This hard it's nothing like my chakram!" Xena yelled back.  
U3 replied "Well how do you get the chacram to go where you want it to?"  
"You throw it at the right angle!" Xena said.  
U3 paused stupefied at his incompetence to communicate, "Oh... well this works with your mind. It reads where you want it to go then goes there at the designated speed. The only hard part is stopping it. Throw it out there and then send it to me."  
After three tries of that she got it. It sailed like a beacon of death about 30 feet then shot back at a faster speed than when she threw it.  
"Egad! That's ... that's excellent I almost missed it" U3 said smiling in disbelief.  
Callisto, who was watching all of this finally spoke up "Yeah, yeah it's wonderful she threw a stick and it came back fast big whoopee! Let's keep moving."  
Callisto turned around and was about to continue walking through the dense wood when she smacked into a chest that seemed to be etched in stone. As she looked up at what she had smacked into, the figure's full glory was shown. He had the teal mechanical head of a jackal and the body of a man, the sun caught his golden eyes and he gave Callisto a flirting smile  
The thing spoke, "U3..."  
U3 emerged with a conniving smile, "Yessss....."  
He moved his eyes to the serpent "I can never tell where you are. I can't believe you waste time with mortals you ugly, thieving, worm!"  
"Bipedal bottom feeder!"  
"Disgusting dirt eater!"  
U3's face lightened, "It's good to see you again Anubus I heard that the Egyptian empire was conquered, How sad for you." He gave Anubus a fake smile.  
"Yes it was a great loss," Anubus replied with equally fake humor.  
Callisto interrupted, "You two... know each other?"  
U3 smiled, "Why yes, Anubus served as my brother after I killed my birth parents."  
Xena said in disbelief, "Why did you kill your own birth parents?"  
U3 sighed, "I really don't want to go into it that was a long time ago and I want to forget it."  
Callisto looked menacingly at U3, "I suppose we need to take him along as well."  
"I don't know," U3 turned to Anubus, "Can you find your way alone?"  
"I suppose I can," Anubus looked at Xena and Callisto, "Ladies, If you will excuse me."  
With that he bowed his head and left them.  
Callisto grabbed U3 and said, "What was that all about!"  
U3 said in confusion, "What was what all about!?"  
"That was the Egyptian god of mummification!" Callisto began, "Your not telling me something I've felt it ever since we picked up Xena and It was very prominent when You talked to Anubus,"  
U3 was silent.  
"Answer me!"  
U3 cocked his head and looked confused.  
"That's it! I'm gone!"  
"I'm sorry..."  
"For what?" Callisto hissed  
"I have to do this." U3 brought his hand up, opened his fingers the brought the hand down, Callisto collapsed on the dirt floor in a heap.  
Her eyes shot open, "How did you do that? You nearly wiped my memory!"  
She grabbed U3 and ripped off his head.  
The head looked at her and hovered for a few moments shaking back and forth in a "no" fashion. "I took the liberty of giving myself a regeneration enchantment in case I was attacked again"  
The head grew a body and arms and the other body grew a head. Xena watched for a few more minuets of the two on one match and decided to come to Callisto's aid.  
U3's head shot over to Xena and said, "So you are alignable and I thought it would take a mind wipe to get you two to work as a team!"  
"That's not what you've been hiding!" Callisto said.  
"You'll find out very soon," Both U3's held hands and merged into one and the one U3 trailed off, "Very soon... I'll tell you when we make camp, you have my word"  
"Oh great we have the word of a serpent." Callisto replied sarcastically.  
"You have the word of a Dragon." U3 looked coldly at Callisto, "I lost my limbs in battle. Now let's keep moving."  
  
Chapter 10: The Particle stimulator.  
  
Nothing more happened during the rest of the day. It was late when they finally saw the first signs of Dahok. Bodies littered the ground as the three of them came close to the once-town-now-chard.  
"Such a waste of life," U3 lowered his body near a skeleton, "He died in a futile effort to save his beloved town. Look at him now"  
Xena said "Here's a good of a place as any to set camp."  
Xena stopped and listened intensely at what seemed to be quiet. U3 listened too not hearing anything.  
U3 whispered, "What are we doing?"  
Xena shushed him and said, "We're listening to those footsteps behind us."  
U3 looked at Xena, "Footsteps?"  
Xena turned around and said, "Gabrielle?"  
Gabrielle emerged from the bushes, "You've got to teach me how to do that."  
U3 looked at Xena, "Me too."  
"So what is it that you've been hiding?" Callisto asked.  
U3 showed obvious discomfort, "Can I convince you to wait until tomorrow to find out it's not like you have anywhere to go."  
Callisto stamped her foot, "No. Tell us now!"  
"(Sigh) all right... This," U3 reached into his mouth and pulled out a small chip, "is a Particle Stimulator, It runs on biogenic energy and, well, stimulates your abilities."  
"Huh?" Callisto reached out and held the chip in the palm of her hand, "This? It looks like a piece of sand!"  
"That is a smaller version of this silver thing on my back," U3 began, "except it doesn't need uh... wood to fuel the fire inside. It goes into your shoulder. Do you want me to put it in for you?"  
"In?" Callisto said in disbelief.  
U3 replied, "Yes, as in under your skin."  
Xena said, "Won't it rot inside her body?"  
U3 looked in deep thought then snapped out of it, "No no no it won't it's made out of sephar- uh really high quality... steel... uh I mean Iron."  
Callisto raised an eyebrow in disbelief.  
"I've done this before trust me," U3 gave a flirting smile.  
Callisto said, "You've been telling me to do that a lot lately"  
"This will also give you memories of your childhood as well." U3 smirked "You will know what your mother, sister and father looked like exactly. Even down to their fingerprints."  
U3 kept his stare at Callisto anticipating her response. She moved her head off to her left. She squinted as she lifted the chip up to the setting sun. It shone through it in an auburn shade of gold.  
"How long will it take?" Callisto said reluctantly.  
U3 came over to her right and gave her a serious stare, "If there was ever a time to get out of this It's now."  
"I want to know about my parents." Callisto replied. "Put it in me."  
U3 swallowed, "This isn't a quick decision, are you sure?"  
"Yes" Callisto said as she unfastened her shoulder rivet.  
U3 showed Callisto his forefinger's claw, "I will try to make this as painless as possible."  
He stared at his claw for a few moments and it's structure changed from nail to steel he then inserted it into her shoulder. Xena watched as U3 tore a small hole in Callisto's shoulder, to her surprise blood emerged from the wound.  
"Hmmmmm." U3 sighed, "That's odd."  
"What's odd?" Callisto asked.  
U3 dropped the small chip into the gap he made. Her wound quickly healed.  
U3 rubbed his fingers together with a red substance, "What's the red stuff?"  
Gabrielle smirked "We call it blood."  
U3 swished his head, "That's your blood? What an odd shade."  
U3 then turned his attention back to Callisto, "How are you feeling?"  
Callisto moved her head as if attached to a string that was being tugged by some unseen puppeteer, "I don't know, lots of facts... so... so many ideas..."  
U3 made a daring move by holding Callisto's head in his reptilian paw. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." U3 said with the softest voice that he could muster.  
  
  
Chapter 11 Reality Check  
  
It was very late in the evening before Callisto managed to sleep. U3 had kept his promise and fell asleep after she did. Even though he got less rest he still got up before any of his comrades and was on the hunt for breakfast.  
U3's body hadn't changed but it sure looked like it did. His eyes were dull yellow orbs and his body made no sound as he slithered though the forest. No movement was detectable. The wild boar never saw the fangs sink into its flesh.  
When U3 came back to the campsite he wasn't surprised to see Xena awake.  
U3 said, "What's with you Xena? Do you wake up as I leave every morning?"  
"Let's just say your not as quiet without your silver thing." Xena threw Ar5 at U3 as she said this.  
U3 caught his computer system and put it onto his back in one fluent motion.  
U3 exchanged the throw with what was left of the pig, "Here's breakfast, Mmmm I can almost smell that bacon now!"  
"And what makes you think I'm going to cook it!?" Xena replied.  
U3 retorted, "Well I don't know square one on cooking!"  
"I would but I've got to scout the area, Argo's missing."  
"Well then who will?"  
U3 slowly turned his head at the sleeping Gabrielle...  
  
****  
  
"That was really good Gabrielle." Callisto smacked her lips, "Very succulent."  
Gabrielle gave Callisto a deadly look. Callisto just laughed.  
U3 leaned over the sitting goddess "How are you this morning beautiful?"  
"You just don't get it do you?" Callisto said, suddenly stopping her "good" mood.  
U3 cocked his head, "Get what?"  
Callisto looked coldly at U3 "Ya know, your a Dragon, I'm a goddess we're incompatible, so stop being so stupidly in love with me. I'll tear your heart out, and make you eat it."  
If U3 felt any dismay he did not show it, "I do admit that I have a feeling close to love towards you but that has not clouded my actions in any way. I am here not for my own pleasure, no, no... no I'm here to preserve an entire race." U3 looked around for Xena, "and when Xena has found her horse at the stream we can get underway."  
Just at that moment Xena walked back into the campsite holding Argo's reigns with Argo at the other end. U3 started to slither off as the three gathered their things and followed.  
  
  
Chapter 12: The Legion of the Lesser Gods  
  
They only had to walk a few thousand meters before they reached their destination. They emerged from the woods onto a small clearing packed with gods. There were countless gods ranging from the Greek to some that Xena only had heard legends about to ones that were completely alien to her. Gabrielle was completely taken in by the spectacle. Callisto was emotionless as ever. U3 broke away from the group that he had traveled so far with to join and mingle with the others.  
Eventually he made his way to a hill in the clearing and began to speak,  
"Gods and other beings, you have trekked far to reach this spot. Some more than others, some less than others. Therefore let me begin. You are here because I require your assistance. An evil flame has been lit and has been stamped but it hasn't been extinguished. It has grown to a blaze under its logs and only a thin film of water is keeping it from blowing up into a huge fireball. There are many here that doubt my ability to lead and fewer think that I even know what I'm talking about. I speak of the bringer of death to this orb that you call Earth or Tarra or Gaiea or whatever you call it. He will come mark my words he will. And we will are that thin bubble of water. We must extinguish his flame and destroy Dahok before he is uncontrollable! Who is with us?"  
The three of his original band could see that he didn't have the crowd on his side. In fact there were some that had turned around and started to leave but Xena decided to help her comrade-in-battle.  
Xena stepped up on top of the hill, "I'm with him" Gabrielle soon followed  
"Me too." Anubus emerged from the crowd.  
U3 looked at Callisto as if to coax her with his face. She gave a huff but joined the three on their stand. A few more came to the hill but not much more. They now consisted of Anubus, Gabrielle, Xena, Callisto, a red dragon, a few troll-like things, two veiled gods, and a young man. Two dragons came up the hill and one of them looked coldly at U3. U3 had lowered his eyes at this remark, he returned to his normal look when the dragon passed.  
U3 began to speak again, "Well let's introduce each other... I'm The Ultimate Sea Dragon 3,000, U3 for short. These are the warriors from earth Xena and her friend Gabrielle. The great goddess Callisto has decided to add her efforts to the cause. My spiritual brother Anubus 3000 has given us his aid. I am in the dark with all the others."  
The Trolls spoke, "We are Jaka, Bades, Tela, and Gelard. We are the gods of picking warts from our people."  
The veiled gods looked at U3 and he spoke for them, "These two are Leva and Dala of the Terras, they are fairly large gods where they come from. They are gods of.... Telepathy would be the best word."  
The boy spoke up, "I am Greea of the wind Titan. I speak for him as a priest."  
The dragon that looked at U3 introduced himself, "I find it interesting that you use my name to introduce yourself... I do not remember accepting you into my family!"  
U3 moved his eyes from his left to the ground trying to think of a way out of this one. Finally he thought of something, "Uh.... co-in-so-dince?" Realizing how he said it he made a quick fix, "Is that how you say it?"  
The dragon obviously didn't believe the lie so he just went on to introduce himself, "I am named Sea Dragon as well."  
"And I'm his cousin, Fire Wings." the red dragon said.  
U3 was obviously nervous around the other two dragons, probably due to his mistake in calling himself by his real name.  
"Hmmm." U3 said, "I believe with these nine we may have a chance with this."  
For the first time that Gabrielle could remember U3 actually gave a genuine smile.  
  
Profile Break  
Ok you're probably wondering what all these gods look like so I'll give you a quick overview of what I think they look like,  
Greea has brown hair that is parted down the middle. He has steel blue eyes and a straight, strong chin. He has small but firm and strong muscles. He wears a purple on blue sighled vest and died leather blue pants. A few cords are hanging loose from his vest, he has a rod that he can use to summon Air elementals and other items that can come from the air. Greea's personality is pretty calm and doesn't like to involve himself in squabbles, the only reason he joined was because he saw Leva and Dala join U3.  
Leva and Dala are twins, they have Hispanic-type skin and are very conservative in their dressing. They have many layers of light clothing on them. The main difference between them is that Leva has blond hair and Dala has dark. I know that's the kind of fact that you can forget so I'll say it one more time, Leva has blond hair and Dala has raven. Got that? Ok good.   
Sea Dragon is of course a dragon. He's about 6 feet high and has very tightly interlocking plates on the front of his stomach. He'll occasionally wear a purple robe that he can conjure from his home. He has a bone slycer too but not flashing on and off, it's attached to his foot in the form of a raptor claw.  
Fire wings is a lot like Sea Dragon. He's a young red dragon that was taught that all humans are good for are a tasty entrée. He's hot headed and will take on anything that defies him. His wings are composed of nothing but two great flames that come right out of his back... kind of hard to be sneaky in the dark. He has the dragon-finned ears unlike his nephew Sea Dragon. He too has a bone slycer the same as Sea Dragon except that his looks like it's on fire.   
Ok sorry about that, The trolls aren't important... you'll find out later why.  
  
Chapter 13: The departure of the weak  
  
"Now that we have our Allies and enemies determined I believe that it's high time to find our enemy." U3 gave a sigh, "Anyone have any ideas how?"  
"I have never seen a dragon of your... likeness before.," The Sea Dragon moved in for a closer inspection of U3, "How did you come about the name Sea Dragon?"  
U3 looked incredibly irritated by this remark, "It doesn't matter... What does matter is finding our enemy."  
Callisto asked, "You mean to say that you dragged me and my worst enemy through all this garbage and sedimental crap just to find out that you have no idea of where Dahok is!?"  
U3 retaliated inches away from Callisto's nose, "I draged you through all that sedimental crap to find out if you ever would work with Xena! Apart you two are great enemies but together you two can conqure anything even..."  
Callisto pressed, "Even what!"  
"Me" U3 let his eyes trail off. He gave a small sniff but continued on. "I can do a life form scan if no one else wishes to sense for him..."  
Leva and Dalah closed their eyes and concentrated then looked at U3.  
"Dahok's power is concentrated due east from here," U3 spoke for them, "But we must be carefull, Dahok is wounded and you know how wounded animals are..."  
Anubus put a clawed hand on U3's shoulder. U3 grasped the reassuring hand and said, "we should get going"  
Tela spoke for the Trolls "We cannot stay here much longer only 3 hours to be exact your atmosphere is too hard to breathe we need methane to survive."  
U3 looked at them, "We cannot have any weak gods here, any who can die must leave, I'm sorry but I don't want to see anymore killed."  
Gerlard gave a cold stare at U3 but U3 looked much more threatening than the troll, "We then must depart," he looked at his other trolls," We move. Good bye U3."  
U3 said nothing to the other trolls as he watched them leave. Just as they were about to leave Xena's sight U3 gave an inquisitive stare at the four small beings as if to question their loyalty to their word. He soon after shook his head to get rid of the odd stare.  
  
Chapter 14: Mrs. Chief  
  
The next morning Callisto was working out for the upcoming battle. She went through the normal thrusts and blows at the air. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with the knowledge that there was someone watching her. She spun around and shot a fireball out her sword. The young man nimbly dodged the projectile, but she wasn't through with her attack. She came running at him with insane speed and just before she could deliver the blow that would have killed him he snatched her sword away. She was so shocked at the tactic she never blocked the knee to her stomach. Callisto's eyes lit up with the fire that burned within her and she came at the man with a furry of short quick attacks, amazingly he blocked every one of them except for her final blow to his face. He reeled back but something burned inside him as well. He grabbed her hair and as he was about to ram his knee into her face when he stopped.  
For the first time they looked at each other. Her chocolate eyes met his and they stared at each other with a fascination that neither thought possible. He loosened his grip on her hair and had his hands migrate to the sides of her chin. Something stirred inside her that she thought she had lost a feeling of lust and pleasure. He seemed to be the definition of purpose. He smiled a kind smile at her. Something told her that this person would be different from most other people that seem to reek of hatred towards her. He had perfect tan skin and muscles that rippled, but his hands were as soft as pillows coushening her chin. His fingers made little circles massaging her jaw. Her stomach churned he seemed to know just how to manipulate that area to make her feel weak enough to melt.  
He let his left hand off of her jaw to feel her golden brilliance adorning her head. He let his fingers move through them, jerking at all the knots that were there from years of misuse. She suddenly felt ashamed that she was so imperfect but he smiled and took in the smell of her hair anyways.  
In these few moments she felt that she could trust him enough to allow her guard down for a few moments and allow a kiss. Her eyelids went heavy and she parted her lips... nothing happened.  
He moved his lips toward her ear. She noticed a slight mechanical wheezing that was oddly familiar.  
"Still think we're incompatible?"  
Horror and betrayal swept through her like a great wave. She knew the voice, it was U3. Her eyes shot wide open, a scream ripped up within her, "DAMN YOU U3!!!".  
She slammed her fist into his face, he took the full force of the blow, which sent him several yards. She had already caused more damage than she could ever deal with her fists, she had become angry with him. He ran off ashamed of himself.  
U3 got Callisto's mind to work though, could they really be compatible? She quickly shook the thought from her mind.  
"Absurd," She fought to control herself, and continued her workout.  
  
  
Chapter 15: A sample fight  
  
It was late evening when they all gathered around the site. U3 and the other gods stared at the fetid horrors before them. The soldiers were only half composed and there were ranks upon ranks of them. U3 let out a depressing sigh.  
"There's more of them than I thought..." U3 looked at his brother, "How many?"  
Anubus closed his eyes, "Nearly 4000 soldiers and one high power... in front commanding."  
Greea asked skepticly, "How can you be so sure?"  
Anubus shot a stare at the preist, "I keep track of souls back... where I come from."  
Xena finaly got in a word with U3, "So what do you want us to do?"  
"That's where you come in," U3 said, "I am terrible with my people skills," U3 called for attnetion and everyone looked at him, "Everyone! Listen, You may be wondering why I chose this one, Xena, here to be with us. And there is good reason for her presence. She, is the best, the absolute best, at commanding. She could have conqured the world Therefore she will be leading the battle. Xena, please command for me." He looked at her with a hint of mischief but seemed sincere.  
Xena looked shocked, "That's some request! How much time do I have to think about this?"  
"As long as Dahok's troops will allow" U3 replied.  
Xena put her hand to her chin. She stayed like that for many moments.  
U3 said, "I can see this is not an easy decision for you to make, I will allow you to think it ove-" U3 turned his head a look of panic washed over his face, "Callisto" He whispered, "Damn it I knew we shouldn't have come this close!"  
U3 quickly extended his computer system to it's limit, from the left and rightmost sides a pair of metalic wings deployed which included the computer system in it's design. He coiled himself up and sprang towards the heavans. He gave a quick scan of the area and located Callisto being mawled by two of the zombie-like creatures.   
U3 called out "Where there's two there's bound to be more, Ar5!"  
"Wha? I'm here!" Ar5 said.  
"Heat scan! Now!" U3 cried.  
"What? Why? whatt's goi-"Ar5 began  
U3 had reached up and put a big dent in the side of the computer system, "If I wanted chit-chat I would have asked for it! Now gimmie a heat scan!"  
"Jeez!," Ar5 sent out a green fan-like pulse and waved it up and down." There done."  
Lights flicked up in U3's eyes, "Better,"   
U3 tilted his body to the right and dove at an incredible speed, the first zombie was too slow to do anything but open his mouth at the streak of silver and green.   
Calllisto was already badly bruised and battered when U3 had gotten there.  
He quckly got over to her aid, "What's wrong you shouldn't have a scratch on you!":  
Callisto yelled between blows, "I don't understand either! It's almost as if each one of theise is as strong as a god!"  
U3 repllied with a cool delight, "Good, finaly a challange!"  
At that moment Callisto shot a stream of flame at her attacking zombie, he took the full force of the blow and continued it's advance, only now it had a grin on it's face, knowing that it was about to win.   
Somthing jolted it's stance for a moment. It looked down inquizitively for a moment, stareing at the sword protrudeing from it's stomach. It whipped around and smacked the person who had stabbed it. Xena held her face stricken, and bleeding. She was soon followed by Gabrielle and Sea Dragon.   
Sea Dragon chanted a few incantations. Sea Dragon's eyes rolled around in his sockets, then suddenly he regained controll and unleashed a wave of the purest white light that any one of them had ever seen. The zombies wreched and wrigled in their palaces trying to get away from the light, flailing their arms at it as they withered away.  
Sea Dragon hinted a smile, "When in doubt use a light pulse, it normally works against undead."  
U3 replied, "I would if I could, anyways, Xena are you alright... Xena?... Oh great"  
U3 brought himself closer to Xena and sniffed the air around her.   
He looked up at Gabrielle, "Quickly get her back to the camp site."  
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." came a voice from behind them.  
The four of them turned their heads slowly to see the god of war standing squarely behind them with a smirk on his face.  
  
Chapter 17: Ares' Rematch  
  
"We have a score to settle U3," Ares challanged.  
U3 carefully chose his words, "Not now."  
Ares would not be silenced at that, "I heard what you did to Grekar you annoying worm!"  
U3 still calmly answered, "Do you want to see your precous Xena die as well?"  
"What?" Ares replied.  
U3 said, "Yes your Xena will die because of your hind's blood zombies!"  
Ares questioned under his breath, "Hind's blood zombies? Is that her secret weapon she was talking about?"  
"There not yours?" U3 said puzzled, "That is indeed, interesting."  
Sea Dragon had his turn inspecting Xena's wound, "It must be some pretty dang well wattered down hind's blood! Otherwise Callisto over there wouldn't be breathing!"  
Aries replied cooly, "A little dab will do ya."  
He then made a soft white light in his hand and placed it on Xena's wound, "There all better," Sea Dragon helped Xena back into a sitting position, "Now take it easy for a few moments."  
U3 was baffled, "Dab?"  
While Gabrielle took U3 aside to explain the expression to U3, Sea Dragon moved in to Aries to get a closer look. He paced around the god of war with an intreuged look on his face.  
Aries was obviously annoyed by Sea Dragon, "You have no idea that your in danger, do you?"  
Before Sea Dragon could answer Aries had grabbed his neck, told him to get lost, and was flung 30 ft away into a tree, uncontious.  
Aries called out to Callisto, "Oh, Callisto! I almost forgot the reason I came here, I've been doing some talking with the other gods and I've found something interesting about U3."  
U3 was stopped cold in his tracks and had slowly turned his head towards Aries making an odd mechanical noise.   
Callisto was looking at Aries with an inquisitve look, "What, what have you found out?"  
"It seems that this isn't the first apppearance that he's made here on earth." Aries said this with a giant smile on his face.  
U3 had a look of shock that was covering his true expresion of horror.  
"Why not you tell her about who you are, who you appeared to the people of Thebus as?"  
U3 sighed and continued to look at Aries as he began speaking then moved his full attetntion to Callisto, "He's right, I came here before, I was a much nicer dragon back then, the first people that I talked to were so closed minded that they didn't even see me. The next few people that saw me as some sort of dragon and ran away. I figured that I needed to be more discreet, so I chose a human form. I've locked that form away for hundredes of years. All I know about that form is that I did something truly horrendous and I also did something that was equaly... courageous. I promised myself that I would never let myself go back to that form, ever... ever again. For cleaning up the mess I made the king at that time named one of his petty villages after my form... Only one from that town could unlock my human form... Look deep into my eyes Callisto, deeper than you have ever looked into any other's."  
Callisto said light hearedly, "This is absolutly crazy! Your insane."  
U3 said solemnly, "Look. Look as you did into the man you took on."  
Callisto rolled her eyes, "Fine, alright but I don't see the-"  
Suddenly she was engrosseed in U3's eyes, they were green and slightly slit. Then they began to look inhumanly green, bright, flouresent, neon, each becomeing more and mroe pure and bright, and then black....  
  
Chapter 18: Cirra  
  
To everyone else, U3 had sucked all the color out of Callisto. As her black and white body slumped to the ground Xena asked, "What did you do to her?"   
Her question fell onto deaf ears U3 stared into the distance not focusing on anything but what was going on in his mind.  
Anubus finaly arrived. He was just in time to see the last amount of color drain from Callisto's face and go into U3.  
"Oh gods NO!" Anubus rushed to his Brother's side, "Damn it U3! Why did you do that!"  
Xena asked impatiently, "What? What did he do."  
Anubus angrly replied, "He converted her essence into Mana energy and absorbed it that's the command sequence for Cirra!"  
Gabrielle asked, "What's Cirra?"  
"W-who cares?" Aries was obviously a tad nervous at the name.  
With that Aries let loose a ball of lightning at Anubus sending him across the clearing. Aries drew his god's sword and began a swordfight with Xena. She managed to draw the fight away from her two vunerable alies.  
A quakeing breath wimpered out of U3's mouth, then a pause, then another. At the same time Callisto was mimicing his uneasy breaths. The next one was stronger then stronger. Slowly the color was begining to resurface into Callisto. U3's breath suddenly lost it's congruence with Callisto and he was thrown from his position into convultions and spasims, wracking his body from left to right. Callisto neverminded him and went straight to the battle.  
A familliar scream of Callisto eminated from behind Aries, an instant later she was at Xena's side.  
Callisto said teasingly to Xena, "Looks like you could use some help"  
Xena only looked angry at Callisto.  
Ares looked the two of them over and knew he was in for a difficult fight but he stood his ground and charged the both of them.  
Xena and Callisto began an intricate, almost acrobatic, series of thrusts and blows in tight formation. Almost as if they were one fighting unit with four arms.  
Back where Callisto had left U3, he still sqirmed in his place like an earthworm that was stepped on, he began to twist himself into knots. Finally he let out a wreching scream of mechanical and humanoid measure.  
A blinding white light stunned everyone in the clearing and there she stood. She was a gorgous white skinned woman. She wisked some of her white-streaked, golden hair from her face. Her eyes were exactly like U3's. Her teeth were hidden by a pair of ruby red lips that glistened in the sun. She had a pure white chest plate trimmed in gold and a crotch plate to match. They could easaly see her U3-skin armor was skin tight at her arms and stomach but hung loosly as a skirt that went down to her knees. She also had a belt of blue leather with U3's symbol on the buckle The buckle itself was outlined in eagle's wings. On the belt was a sai in it's holder.  
Callisto looked perplexed at the woman, recognizing her from the descriptions her mother had given her when she was a little girl, "Cirra?"  
Cirra's chin dropped a little as she smiled and said, "Yes, what do you want my child?"  
Everyone stood, staring gape jawed at the woman. She moved to the middle of everyone.  
Gabbrielle asked her, "Where is U3?"  
She replied in U3's voice, "I am he, and I remember everything now, God of war, " She quickly returned to her womanly voice, " I was a Paladin of Corona, but now I hail from the godess of balance, Alpha, she has a voice in this realm once again!"  
Aries shouted, "It doesn't matter! You are going to die just like the way you shattered the crystal of balance a thousand years ago!"  
Aries charged at Cirra and slashed a high lob, she quickly ducked bearly missing her odd hair. She was strong but she lacked something equaly improtaint, agility. In her duck she became off balance and was brought to the ground by Aries' foot sweep. She was quicklly pinned to the ground.  
Things looked hopless Aries had his sword painfully jabbed into her throat. But that was nothing compared to the pressure that Aries was puting down upon her chest plate with his foot. The plate was unfortunately distributing his pressure all over her front. The wind had already escaped her lungs and things were becoming dark. The last thing she heard was Xena's voice saying something, and then complete blackness.  
  
****  
  
Xena glanced at Callisto while twiddling U3's bone slycer. Callisto held Xena's chackramm with delight, she knew the trap was set.  
Xena shouted out to Aries, "I don't really think you want to do that, This thing was designed to put Hope into stasis so I'm pretty sure that it can do a lot of harm to a god!"  
Aries looked up at Xena who was twitching U3's bone slycer. He then looked back down at the now uncontious Cirra and pushed down on her plate mail once more breaking a rib.  
He spoke, "You don't know what your doing, Xena. Your on the wrong side when you defend her." He paused with his jaw jutted foreward, half agape, "Remember the last time I told you that, Gabrielle gave birth to Hope and Cirra is much, much worse."  
With that he once again erupted into smoke and light.  
  
  
Chapter 19: Aries' bad news, or is it good news?  
  
Aries walked down the corridor quickly to meet his master Dahok. He decided to slow his gait, he would bring his news of failure soon enough. How could U3 be Cirra!? He expected U3 to break down and tell his people that he was here 40 times before and was playing with time! He pretended to admire the paintings of horrid death on the walls. The same questions kept running around in his mind, What to say? How to word it? Will I die because of it?  
He heard the steps of his other master, Hope, come up behind him along with about 13 undead soldiers. He was no happier to see her than Dahok.  
"What is it that troubles you, god of war?" Hope asked.  
Aries replied changeing the subject, "How are the trolls that squealed on the small band of nothings doing? Are they dead yet?"  
Hope was annoyed by the change of subject but gave an answer, "Yes, they are quite dead," Hope waved her hand off to her left.  
Four small drooling zombies moved towards the two gods. Obviously Gelard and the others.  
Aries smiled at Hope's handiwork, "Impressive, you asked what's troubleing me, well I'll tell you. U3 is more than he seems, he's more than a time traveling dragon, he's a major threat to Dahok's entry. He holds the power of balance."  
Hope seemed surprised, "He is a Cirrian, like Callisto?"  
Aries replied, "Worse... much worse.... he is Cirra."  
Hope laughed an evil laugh that echoed in the hallway, "Your eyes must be deceiving you old man! Cirra has been dead for a thousand years and to think that a bumbling time traveling idiot like U3 could be Cirra.... well it can't be her, U3 is only using her form to manipulate his small band of people to think that they can actually win against the power of Dahok. I belive it is time to disolve this small rebellion against my father. If U3 belives that he is indeed Cirra, let him die like her.... in his sleep."  
With that she turned and left the god of war to continue his slow journey toward his master, with his bad news.  
  
Chapter 20: An attempt on a life  
  
"Uuh...." Cirra held her stomach when she regained contiousness and noticed that her plate mail was missing, she felt the U3 skin under armor for a bit picking at the scales.  
When she ran accrost her bandaged side she let out a small, "Ouch."  
She took a look around to see where she was. She saw a few makeshift tents of what she assumed to be her coleauges that saved her from Aries. Although she had no recolection of them saveing her, or did she? She tried not to think about that but on what was going on around her. She heard some snoring, some tossing and turning, and..... something else, something unfamiliar, something.... evil. She saw that it was night, with no moon, Only a few bits of light. Armor, where was her armor?  
"Brother," came a voice from behind her.  
She whipped around to see Anubus rubbing his forehead.  
He gave a sigh and said, "Why? Why now!?"  
Her brow knitted, "What? What do you mean?"  
He gave no response but grabbed her jaw tightly digging into it and demanded, "Speak with me U3! Talk to me NOW!"  
"Wh-what?" she stammered, "Who is U3?"  
His head began to quake with furry, "Oh great U3 you really did it this time!! You lost yourslef inside Cirra!!!" The rest of his comments were lost to her in an unfamilliar tounge. He went off flailing his arms.  
When he went off he passed Callisto, who was coming to see Cirra, and purposely pushed his shoulder into her's. She ignored it and proceeded to see the Cirra. They looked at each other. Wordlessly for many moments.  
Cirra broke the silence, "You really don't like me do you?"  
"Yes," Calllisto began, "Especially because Cirra has been dead for around 1000 years. She died at the end of a mercinaries' blade, in her sleep. I can show you the grave where we buried her. You are not Cirra, U3, she was so pure and good there is no way that..." Callisto's words caught in her throat, "Let the Dead stay Dead, U3! Don't even try to fake that you are her! You will fail miserably, you are not impressing me!"  
She turned around and was leaving when she heard Cirra, "Thou dost not belive my origin. What can I do to convince thee?" Cirra bit her lip, "Did thine father teach ye the fighting style of thine native town?"  
Callisto turned to face Cirra, "How did you know there was a fighting technique to Cirra? Besides, that's not proof, anyone my age could know that."  
"But only a native of Cirra could do this," Cirra got to her feet.  
She held her right hand in front and off to the right and the same for the left. Energy was drawn from the air around her and she made both hands burst into flame. The left one in black fire and right in white. She began to move them close together. Callisto found herself hoping that Cirra would actually do "The Balance", but her hopes were dismayed when Cirra fell back and held her bandage. She quickly brought them away realizing that they were still alive with fire.  
Cirra was taking short quick breaths and sweat began to protrude from her forehead. But she still concentrated to put out her hands. With much effort she finally did put them out. With a groan she laid back on her cot and rested there.  
Cirra's hair was laid just so that Callisto could see her sword on her back. It was familiar, It was her's. The same fountain handle, the same plateing on the blade, the only difference was that it was not as used as her's.  
She pointed at Cirra, "You stole my sword!"  
Cirra couldn't respond she was still recovering from her attempt at the spell.  
Callisto grabbed the blade from it's holster, and stormed off with it.  
  
****  
Her next visitor was at morning, Gabbrielle.  
Cirra smiled when she came in, "Ahh someone to talk to. Someone to-, well not improtaint. Dost thou see mine armor anywhere?"  
Gabbrielle only smiled at Cirra.  
Cirra tried another subject, "I must thank ye for saving myself from Aries,"  
Gabrielle went down into her boot and drew a horrid looking dagger. She held it with glee.  
Cirra finaly remembered something about the blonde. In the clearing she was innocent, now she was different. She was darker now, no, she was nothing but dark now.  
"Methinks that is not for thyself," Cirra moved to draw her sword but remembered that it wasn't there.  
At that moment Callisto drew near holding both her sword and Cirra's, an identicall match. With every step she became more and more engulfed and intreuged at the pair of swords.  
A wave of images rushed over Cirra and for some reason she knew that Callisto or the blonde needed to leave, now! She ran straight towards the thing that looked like Gabrielle and threw herself upon the dagger, shattering it to pieces on her U3-skin armor.  
Hope was so astounded by the action, and it's result, that she never anticipated Cirra's uppercut from her position. It sent her to the feet of her double, coming to see Cirra. Hope decided that now would be a good time to leave. In the middle of her flight away from the campsite she looked back for an instant, and then vanished into the thick of the forest.  
Cirra looked at Gabrielle as she took her sword from Callisto, "Whom was that!?"  
Gabrielle answered with a sigh, "Hope, my daughter."  
  
  
Chapter 21: Xena takes command   
  
Later that morning after a delicious breakfast of tree leaves, grass, and a few Dragon scales, (a meal prepared by Sea Dragon and Fire Wings) Xena gathered the group together.  
"As you can all tell, "She began, "I have decided to take U3's place as leader as he suggested. Hope and Dahok know that we are here. I believe as our new leader my first command will be to gather the supplies and see what we have."  
They all had their own weapons but other than that, the supplies were minimal. A few day's worth of food, three extra swords, U3's bone slycer which still contained his blood, Leva and Dala had a few changes of clothes, and two tents.  
Leva looked at Cirra casually and looked towards Xena again. She turned back to Cirra as if she was waiting for her to do something. She looked from right to left and pointed to herself as if to question if Leva was indeed looking at her specifically. Leva's brow knitted and then realization came over her that Cirra couldn't hear her. She looked around wondering if anyone could hear her. She bent down and wrote something in odd sigils in the sand.   
Greea spoke the words that were written in the dirt, "can... any... person.... comprehend..... words?"  
Leva smiled at her accomplishment at communicating and nodded her head.  
While this fiasco was going on Xena gave some orders to the people and they began to move around each with a task to do except Cirra.  
Xena looked at her, "Are you not up to colapsing the tents?"  
Cirra replied and pointed to herself, "I would love to do thine bidding but, my delema is that I do not have my outer armor."  
Xena urged Cirra, "I put it under your cot, now please, hurry Dahok knows that we're here he won't wait too long before he sends hundreds of his zombies to finish what Hope started."  
Cirra covered her left hand with her right and with a small bow she left Xena and Callisto together.  
Xena asked, "Callisto, I need to know everything that you know about Cirra, Aries warned me about her. He told me that she is worse than Hope."  
Callisto felt her shoulder that had the particle stimulator in it, stared up at the sky and said, "You burned it to the ground once, do you delight in me telling you about it over and over again? You weren't interested in it's history then, why now? huh? Just because it suits you needs now you want to know about it!? Well that's too damn bad Xena! Go ask some one else! Oh wait, that's right! THERE IS NO ONE ELSE!!!"  
Xena stormed off as Callisto called after her, "Let's burn down your village and see if you want to talk about it!"  
"Cirra... is.... burned to the ground?" a small hurt voice came from behind Callisto.  
She truned around to see a hurt Cirra with tears welling in her eyes.  
Cirra's next word was only a quivering whisper, "Why?"  
Callisto saw an opportunity, "Because it was in her way, because she saw fit to be judge, jury and executioner."  
Cirra was incredibly confused, "But I felt a good force inside her, am I really loosing my evil sense? That I couldn't feel an evil person in front of my face. All those people! My hut! She... she.... killed them all?"  
Callisto smiled at her success in turning Cirra, "Yes, and she enjoyed it."  
  
****  
Hope was still retreating in the forest when she smacked into Aries, literaly. She fell to the forest floor.  
Aries laughed as he helped her up, "Hind's blood zombies, pure genius!"  
"Yes well, I do have my moments that please my father, what have you done for him lately?"  
"I- well I- nothing,"Aries replied reluctantly  
Hope gave a triumphent humph, "I thought as much, but you were right about U3, he is dangerous, he could sense me. He was unarmed and still shattered my dagger!"  
Aries was astounded, "You didn't use your 'good' dagger did you?"  
Hope was begining to answer but Aries covered her mouth, and pointed to a nearby bush.  
He continued with a whisper, "We should talk somewhere not so public."  
With that he transported them behind a nearby tree.  
Hope said in a harsh whisper, "What good did that do!?"  
"ssshhhh" Aries responded.  
Sea Dragon emerged from behind the bush assuming that they had left, he sniffed the air to tell where they had gone. He quickly pinpointed the location he sat there confused for many moments, staring at the tree.  
Hope was too worried that he knew where they were and used her telepathy to send a rock at hundreds of miles an hour towards him. In a flutter of robes he quickly brought his fingers together and was chanting, I am light, light despells darkness, controll the light, control the darkness, over and over again. In that flutter the sun hit a pendant that was hanging from his neck. It seemed kind of odd to see a dragon wearing a necklas but Hope had never even seen a real dragon before yesterday.   
Hope sensed immense power being channeled from somewhere unknown to that dragon, so much so that the rock stopped in it's place. Hope began to really concentrate on the dragon now sending more and more rocks to crush the him but they all stopped at the same place around him, all the time he was chanting his phrase. It was odd to see him just sit there so calmly chanting the eriee chant.   
Hope looked to Aries, "I think now, would be a good time to leave this area," Aries nodded in agreement and they vanished in the same smoke and light.   
The rocks dropped around him. He sniffed the air around the area once again, he smiled with delight knowing where they had gone. He then trotted off to report to his commander, Xena.  
  
  
Chapter 22: 1-2-3 on Dahok!  
  
"Commander!" came hystarical a voice from behind Xena, "I know! I know!"  
Xena was instructing fighting tactics to Leva and Dala, fire wings had been listening and Greea was speaking for the two telepaths. When she heard the clothed human sized dragon she turned around to see him.  
"Where did you go?" she asked in a woried voice.  
"Never mind," Sea Dragon swallowed to catch his breath, "Hope and Aries are about twenty units down."  
Fire wings corrected Sea Dragon, "Don't you mean a thousand yards south?"  
"Sorry, yes a thousand yards south."  
Xena said in her commanding voice, "Good let's go, we want to travel light so only take your esential weapons and supplies. Would someone tell Callisto and Cirra that we're leaving?"  
Anubus had heard the request and volentered silently to get the two.  
When he got to the two they were practiceing in a clearing both had anger on their faces and were fiercely going through a series of practice thrusts in unison. For some reason Cirra had an aura of power around her when she was doing the moves. He recalled U3 doing the same moves on him once.... very long ago. Finally she reached the final thrust that sent out a shimmering copy of her sword towards a nearby sapling. It promptly blew up once the tip hit.  
Anubus spoke up, "You know there are easier ways to blow up a tree U3."  
Cirra knitted her eyebrows and then relaxed them realizing, "I think I dost know what thy delema is with mine name, " she pointed to her belt, "this engravement means nothing it's just there for decoration."  
Anubus gave an angry sigh and asked himself "Why did you lose yourself now brother!? Of all times this is the worst."  
To his suprize U3's voice answered him telepathically, "Cirra is our best chance!"  
Anubus answered in his mind, "It's too much of a risk! You know how she is!"  
Cirra was close to Anubus now, "Be there something thou wanted?"  
Anubus sushed her and concentrated on U3's conversation.  
U3 responded, "It's not too much a risk, I can still control her, so please treat her nicely!"  
With that the voice faded away.   
Anubus smiled at Cirra and said, "Xena says that we're going south. Get your things and let's go,"  
Callisto said in disbelief, "South!? So we're going to just plow right through the whole army!?"  
"Don't kill the messanger, "Anubus replied, "I didn't hear all the details. She's probably got something planned."  
  
Chapter 23: Cirra told  
  
Cirra, Callisto and Anubus emerged from the thicker woods to see all of the others gathered in the center of the camp. Gabrielle was writing in her scrolls, Leva and Dala were "talking" with Greea, Xena wasn't doing anything in particular. Callisto's first move was to tap Xena on the shoulder and motioned to come with her. Cirra decided to talk with Gabrielle. Anubus thought it would be time well spent to study the soldiers.  
Gabrielle seemed so peacefull to Cirra, soft, calm. She was proped up next to a rock and writing something down on a scroll. She was definetly a good source but something was troubleing her.  
Cirra asked Gabrielle, "What art thou scribeing?"  
Gabrielle seemed to snap out of a trance at the question and quickly answered, "I'm- I'm writeing down my expierences from the past few days."  
Cirra answered with a smile, "And what art they? Am I in there?"  
Gabrielle pointed out a few symbols to Cirra, "Yeah, that's your name right there." she paused for a moment then asked, "How old are you?"  
Cirra snikered then answered, "I have seen 32 years."  
Gabrielle then asked, "Then how come you have white hair?"  
Cirra seemed confused, she pulled down a length of hair that was all white then smiled and said, "I was abandoned inside the desert for a some time and I presume that it permanently made parts of my hair bleach white." Cirra paused then asked with hope, "Could thou teach me.... to... write my name?"  
"Of course," Gabrielle smiled, "First off you have to hold the pen like this..."  
  
Meanwhile....  
  
Callisto said to Xena when they got far enough away from everyone else, "There is no doubt in my mind now that that person talking with Gabrielle is indeed Cirra. I'm ready to tell you about her if you still must know about her past."  
Xena hated to listen to Callisto but she had no choice, she had to know the limits of all of her soldiers, "Ok go ahead."  
Callisto touched the shoulder with the stimulator again and began the story, "Cirra was a little girl when she came to thebus. The weapons masters of that time were amazed by her ability to use a sword and her sai. Her ability with them went beyond that of a normal human the movements she made while fighting somehow enveloped her with "sharp flames" Nowadays we call this lightning. She decided to begin her adventureing life when she was about 12. The elders dissaproved of this of course for such a young girl to go off on her own was unheard of! Since she had no parents to object they were forced to grant her leave of the town. But they decided if she was going to leave them she would be properly equiped. Even though her own armor was strong enough to not allow any penetration by any regular and most magical weapons they cast her a chest plate mail of the finest silver and gave her this sword." Callisto drew her sword and showed the familiar weapon to Xena.  
Xena thought for a moment then said, "Aries told us that Cirra was an evil entity, worse than Hope. Is she indeed that evil?"  
Callisto thought for a moment about turning Xena against Cirra but she had already changed Cirra's view enough to kill her so she just answered the question, "He must have been talking abut her dark act. She went up Mount Olympus and shattered the crystal of balance. The crystal of balance was the only barrier that kept all the gods from interfearing with humans. When she did this, a piece of the crystal imbedded itself into her chest. The shard inside her made it so that the crystal could never be re-forged. With that item she imprisoned the god of good and the god of evil. She linked her spirit with them. When she died so did they." Callisto paused for a moment to think, "Now that she's back I don't know if the two supreme gods are alive too or dead."  
Anubus ran to the two women and was panic striken, "Zombies! thousand, no hundered, b-blood!"  
Xena held Anubus' shoulders, "Calm down! Think then speak."  
Anubus still was fidgeting when he spoke, "Army, their army has just gone up 1000 fold!"  
Xena obviously needed to see it for herself. She quickly ran to where Anubus was sitting. The sight overwhealmed her, ranks of undead soldiers as far as she could see. A new sight was floating piles of garbage each haveing at least one rank of undead soldiers on top. Anubus soon followed.  
He heard U3's voice, "You recognise the floating piles of waste don't you?"  
Anubus answered aloud, "Yes, Moander's handiwork. Damn he has his hand in this too"  
Xena asked, "Who's moander?"  
Anubus knew all too well but telling her the truth would only dicourage her, "No one special." he replied.  
  
  
Chapter 24: Forgiven  
  
Gabrielle came over to look as well as Leva and Dala. Leaving Callisto, Cirra and Greea alone.  
Cirra taped Callisto on the soulder, "I belive it's time for you to complete your training..." Cirra then came over to Greea and looked deep into his steel eyes, "Greea, please don't let anyone follow us, it would mean a lot to me."  
Before Greea could object she gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead.  
Cirra looked innocent, "Please?"  
Greea looked dumbfounded, "uh.... huh"  
"Good boy" Cirra mussed his hair as she left.  
Callisto smiled and followed her to the clearing they were just taken from. She placed her sword and sai's tip together on the ground and drew an upside-down triangle, then a right side up one on top, then two on bottom to form a large triangle.   
As she did this she chanted, "Garak-ah-nak-tar mak-ek ah rakekcuzekzektar. Garakanaktar hil-ek-rak fisolrakgaricnakeksi."  
The triangles burst into light and shot up into the sky Cirra pushed Callitsto into the center one. Callisto began to feel much lighter. So much so that she indeed began to lift off of the ground. Callisto felt like weight was being taken from her limbs and going straight into her stomach. She had so much of the weight go into her stomach she had the feeling of throwing up. After a few moments the light dimmed and she returned to her feet.  
Cirra came over to her and asked, "Are you alright?"  
She tried to say something but tears welled up in her eyes and she kacked out a black piece of clay.  
Cirra was confused, she came over and knelt beside it. She picked it up. It was a little bloody. She rubbed a little of the blood in her fingers feeling deja'vu.  
Cirra came over to Callisto and held up the clay, "This represents the evil that thy are, "  
She picked a pice off, rubbed it into a liquid and came close to putting the liqid on Callisto's forehead when she grabbed Cirra's arm.  
Cirra explained, "It's neccicary to complete thy training,"  
Callisto slowly loosened her grip.  
Cirra continued, "Thou thought evil," She put the liquid on Callisto's forehead, "thou did evil," Cirra put the liquid on her right hand, "thou spoke evil," she put liquid on Callisto's throat and lips.  
Cirra swiched hands with the clot, "Thine burdens to mine own."  
Callisto's eyes widened, Cirra was going to share the evil that she had done, she couldn't let that happen! Her hand instinctively darted out just before Cirra could begin smearing the clay onto herself.  
"You can't!" Callisto protested, "I don't deserve this."  
Cirra asked confused "Do not deserve what?"  
Callisto stammered, "You don't- you shouldn't have to take responsibility for what I've done."  
Cirra stopped and considered for a moment then said, "One such as yourself shouldn't have to take up such burdens alone."  
Callisto began to protest again but was silenced by Cirra's finger on the verticle line that she had put on Callisto's lips.  
Cirra made a bit of the liquid with her left hand, "As thou hast thought evil so have I," Cirra put it on her forehead mimicing the mark on Callisto when she did this Callisto felt a tingle shoot down her spine, "as thou hast spoken evil, so have I," this time the effect was more drastic, she could almost swear that she felt Cirra's finger on her lips and throat once again, "as you have done evil-" Callisto felt something wrech inside her body, "so... have... I." the last three words Callisto and Cirra said at the same time.  
For a brief moment they saw through each other's eyes, they had a glimpse of who the other was and what she was thinking. Even though it was a brief moment it seemed like hours to them.  
Cirra saw death and evil. The mind of a madwoman. Her own sister and mother being burned in the fires of some great hell. A pit that never ended. Screams of pain and agony she had caused other children like herself. The senselesness of war and hatred consumend what was left of goodness inside. The betrayel when she found out that Xena was working for the side of good. Pain was building up and building up, faster than she could vent it. She got away from those thoughts with much effort and finally found a point of light which was Callisto's childhood. She saw a few friends whose names had been long forgotten, her sister and her mother. Within theise short memories there was something... odd to Cirra. They were clear... almost as if they had been encanced... almost artificially re-constructed. She didn't know why she knew this she just did... The same few words kept running around and around... particle stimulator command prompt... accessing.... file found, command prompt... accessing.... file found. Perplexed by these words she decided that now was the time to leave the darkness, and ended the ordeal.  
Callisto saw sommething else, peace and serinety but only for a moment, then it was agony and sadness the moment that the crystal of ballance was shattered. There was something darker, something reptilian was hissing at her in a high pitched tone... She concentrated on that for a few minuets and finaly came acrost Thebus before it was Cirra. They were all glareing at her, judging her over and over! She wanted to lash out and kill them for their judgement but she couldn't. They were all her children and she couldn't come to kill her own children... they knew that she did it she had brought Aries and Hades and a dozen other gods upon them. It was too much to bear. She wanted something to make he pain go away, she wanted it more than anything in the world right now... she got her wish. The first thing that gave away the presence of her salvation was a high piched wezzing for air, then she heard the insane laughter of U3 and then to her horror he was there looking first at her fat children that were pointing and judging. He let out a mechanical scream almost as loud as when he made the change to Cirra. It obvioulsy deafned the unsuspecting child. Blood ran freely from his ears. She didn't want to see anymore of U3's massacer of the townsfolk. They were all looking in horror at the boy as he just dropped to his knees and died in their midts. They obvioulsy couldn't see or hear their attacker! She wanted to leave now!   
Lucily Cirra had decided to pull out when she did. Callisto was back in her own mind she realized that Cirra's and her own hands were locked around the clay of evil which had acctually grown a little.  
Cirra took a controlled breath and said, "May our evils be forgiven,"  
A wave of energy coursed over them. The only parts that seemed to be affected were the parts that had the clay liquid and the clay itself on them. They became alive with pain and felt as if those parts ignited with acidic fire that dug into their flesh and burned in outwardly and inwordly. The pain was enough to make them cry out and after a few more minuets they colapsed. The clay had fizzled and popped in their hands then disinegrated. Both of them cried for a few moments at what the other had done with their life.  
  
  
Chapter 25: Another look at Dahok  
  
At the Temple of Dahok, only a few hundred yards from Callisto's clearing, Aries moved into the room which contained the crack that was the doorway from Dahok's realm to his. Flames roared, it almost became more angry at the god's presence. In some futile hope to ease his punnishment for their failure, he bowed down close enough to kiss the ground in front of the roaring flames.  
Hope stood next to the burning pit and seemed hurt as she spoke for Dahok, "We have shamed my father. We are to finish what we started without fail Cirra is to be destroyed without further failure... or it will be your head Aries."  
In an attempt to defend his actions he complained, "Why am I being punnished for Your failures Hope! Your telepathy wasn't enough to even phase that dragon!"  
Hope was shocked, Aries acctually had fingered her! She knew she was in for it now from her father. She winced awaiting her father's wrath but it didn't come.  
"Witch dragon?" came Dahok's voice to her calm but cautious.  
Hope stammered, "I don't know his exact name, he wore a purple robe,"  
A long pause.  
"Did he wear an 's' with parenthasies around his neck."  
Hope thought hard and remembered the glint of that symbol hit her eye when he brought his hands up to begin his chant, "Yes... He did father."  
Another long pause passed.  
"Find some way to slow that party down." Dahok's voice almost seemed to have a hint of worry to it.  
Hope answered, "Yes father. I believe that I have formulated a plan."  
With that Hope led Aries from the chamber. They walked a few yards down the hallway leading away from the burning voice of dahok.  
Aries said skeptically, "What do you have in mind?"  
Hope thought about keeping the information from Aries just to piss him off but what harm could come from telling him, "U3 may be lost in Cirra, but I have an idea as to bring him out from that form. What is more stronger than love for another?"  
Aries still could not see her angle, "Hate for another."  
"Close," Hope smiled even more wickedly, "Self-preservation."  
Aries was completly baffled, "I don't understand."  
Hope sighed and began to explain, "U3 is a time traveler, right?"  
Aries nodded.  
Hope continued, "And that Anubus is a time traveler too, right?  
Aries began to see what she was getting at and smiled as he nodded at this one.  
Hope said smugly, "So all we have to do..."  
"Is find Anubus and find his past self." Aries finished, "But knowing you you've allready sent quite a few of your minions to find his past self."  
Hope came close to Aries and whispered, "I just love it when you figure theise things out for yourself."  
With that they embrased and... well... you fill in the details.  
  
  
Chapter 26: Jealous? Of course I am!  
  
Anubus had secretly followed the women to observe the right of passage to self taught levels. His golden eyes narrowed as he tapped a claw to his teeth. He too had experienced this right of passage, but he had to anoint himself and had no others to share his evils. What made Callisto so special? It could have been that Cirra granting the passage would be the reason that the ritual would be different. However, Cirra was subject to U3, therefore the right should have been no different than if Cirra herself giveing the ritual to him... Unless U3 purposefully left out the shareing of evils. Why would his own brother leave out such an importaint point?  
  
Callisto stired and stood up. She felt like she just got up from a bad hangover. She casually looked at her right hand she was amazed to see the midnight black color had become a pure white. Cirra was still lying on the ground, she looked up at Callisto and smiled.  
"We have been forgiven, my sister-in-battle." Cirra beamed.  
Callisto smiled at the idea of her being called that. "Sister in battle? Is that what I am now to you?"  
Cirra let out a little laugh, "You have always been a child of Cirra, a citizen, now you are my sister in battle, a true warrior of Cirra. I now trust you with my own life."  
Callisto shook her head in disbelief, "Why? Why do this for me? I have murdered ruined lives made others like myself, what have I done to deserve your trust?"  
Cirra's voice droped a note, "You didn't do anything... Xena is the person to blame here, we need to trust each other and be completely honest, we are the last of our kind... our village's memory must go on forever. Xena will pay for what she has done, all in due time my sister."  
Callisto bit her lower lip, she was seriously reconsidering what she had said about Xena.  
Cirra saw this and reassured Callisto, "Do not worry my sister, she will get what's coming to her... c'mon let's get back to the others."  
Callisto smiled at the fact that Cirra was so easy going with her vengance and didn't let it consume her like it did herself. She hoped against hope that Cirra wouldn't become like her, but she already knew what she had started...   
She knew also that this would probably be the last time she could posably turn her back, but she didn't. She was starting another clot once again inside her.  
  
****  
Anubus' eyes narrowed into golden slivers and told himself, "Once I get my hands on you U3... then will you truly know pain."  
Once again he was answered by U3's voice, "I know, I know, Your angry with me because of the stupid shareing of sins, right?"  
Anubus whispered harshly "Yes, I am! Exceedingly angry!"  
"Well," U3 began, "it's opitonal and if you remember we were in the heat of battle  
when you gained the right."  
Anubus was still skeptical, "Then how come I wasn't given the right when we  
came to a resting place?"   
U3 said patiently, "It was too late to administer, besides what's so great about it!?"  
Anubus thought for a while, then he whispered, "I guess it wasn't that big of a deal."  
"Alright I'm glad that's settled, now would you please get some help! Aries is trying to decide whether to fricasee Cirra or just chop her head off!"  
Anubus looked around confused, "Where?"  
"Over here," U3 said just as a light hit Anubus' eyes.  
Anubus looked slyly at the light, "Your not really in Cirra are you?"  
Anubus could almost see the smirk on U3's face, "Oh, I'm in Cirra alright, but I'm not as lost as you may think."  
With that his laughter kackled into nothingness.  
  
****  
Cirra and Callisto made a hasty retreat from their clearing once again. Aries silently moved out of the bushes that U3 had pointed out to Anubus and would of followed the pair but Anubus steped casually into the clearing and gave him a wicked smile.  
He defiantly challanged, "Aries, the Greek god of war, I have heard much about you."  
"Anbus," Aries flatly stated, "the Egyptian god of the dead, why do you help U3 here? What's your hand in this? Why go against insane odds?"  
Anubus kept his mischevious smile and said, "I have my reasons Aries."  
Anubus opened his right hand and a septer appeared in it. His eyes glowed with the anticipation of battle. He twirled his septer to his left, then right and brought it to bear on Aries like a shotgun.  
A smile came to Aries now and he laughed a great belly laugh. Still laughing he shot a lightning bolt to Anubus' staff, throwing it from his hands.   
Anubus gave a cold stare at Aries, not so confident in himself now.  
  
  
Chapter: 27:   
  
Xena was becoming impatient with Grea's loyalty to Cirra's word.  
"I don't care what Cirra said!" Xena yelled at Greea, "I am in command! U3 left that position to me!"  
The red dragon poked Xena in the shoulder to get her attention, "We'd better do something soon, Real soon. Dahok's army is getting restless.  
"And so we shall," Cirra smiled as she said the words that shocked Grea, "A frontal assault, Dahok wouldn't expect it."  
Xena looked supprised at Cirra, "What happened to your accent?"  
Cirra looked confused, "What accent?"  
Gabrielle budded in, "You know, your thees and thines?"  
Cirra felt her mouth even more confused, "I..... don't know....."  
Their silence was breeched by a yelp much like an injured dog come from behind the two Cirrians.  
Greea, being kind of slow, asked, "Hey, has anyone seen Anubus lately?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Endgame  
  
Cirra bolted infront of her comerads towards the temple. Callisto quickly jumped down from a cloud of garbage, now burning from her own powerfull ballance spell.   
Cirra smiled at her student, and at what she had become. Callisto returned the smile they had only one task left in front of them to reach the temple and make sure that Xena wouldn't have much trouble following them.  
Cirra looked back at the great army of the undead. Sea dragon and Fire wings were having a field day, the undead things didn't seem to care that they were being destroyed they still paid no attention to them. Sea Dragon was anointing each one with his holy water and Fire wings' natrual ability to burn things was a major advantage against undead.  
Xena was closing the gap between them and the temple, Gabrielle was close behind her.  
"We may very well die in this wreched place my sister," Cirra looked seriously at Callisto, "Be strong, resist temptation, and always know who you are."  
Callisto felt touched by the words of encouragement that Cirra had given her.  
Xena just then ran past the two blondes with a flutter of black hair Gabrielle soon followed after.  
Cirra still smiled through her gray flames and followed the two. Callisto took a good look at the sky, curriously, she thought to herself that it might be the last time that she would really look at the clouds for what they were. Her gaze was interupted by Cirra's call to hurry up.  
She took one last look at the clouds and blue sky and quickly darted into the temple of the destroyer, Dahok.  
  
They came into a high part of the temple and saw Aries and hope together. Sweat was pourinng from Hope's brow from the strain of speeding the process of bringing Dahok into this dimention. She lurched in position for a few moments then settled down a little.  
Aries was sweating too not from strain but from the extreme heat that was being given off from the immense flames shooting out from the pit in the center of the room. The room itself was a deep red hue from the flames. From their perch they could see that it was a brick room with a few tables. There were glowing markings all around the circular flaming pit. Anubus was there too his golden eyes alive with fire and hate. His teal head bucked back and forth fightintg the chains that held him to the wall.  
Aries seemed more powerful than normal. His chin was firmer and shoulders broader than usual. Almost as if he was powering up to meet the challenge of battle. He made a quick flex of his biceps. His eyes were closed. He seemed to be concentrateing on something.  
Just then Cirra slowed to a stop just behind Xena and Gabrielle, both of the Cirrians' spells wore off.  
Cirra asked softly, "What are they doing?"  
Her question went unanswered as the ritual continued. Five priests came into a circle each holding a wickedly carved, obsidian blade. Each one of them drew a triangle forming a five pointed star. Suddenly the room seemed to explode as the ring caught fire. The fire completly encompased the evil symbol. The fire crept into the markings of the star itself. The preists allowed the action making no movment or resistance to the greedy flames as they came to the center pentagon of the pentagram.  
Hope wasn't even paying attention to the dark ritual but still focused all her power into the portal that was becomeing more and more apparent. Then she stopped abruptly. She seemed startled.  
She turned to Aries and said something to him, only Xena could make out what she was saying.   
"Aries," Xena translated, "I -something- good force in this -something- one that will resist dahok's -something- find them and -something- destroy them."  
Then Aries ran off down a doorway hidden from their vantage point.  
Cirra went for her sai and looked warily left and right. She looked over to Callisto for support but Callisto was too enveloped in what she saw. Her thoughts began to change from ritchousness to betrayal. She had always kept in her code to be on the winning side of a battle.  
Cirra could not sense Callisto's thoughts but she could see some darkness begin to creep back into Callisto's eyes.  
Cirra put a reasureing hand on her friend's shoulder, "Remember who you are sister."  
Callisto moved her head quickly to see Cirra's warry look on herself. Seeing Cirra look into Callisto hardened her resolve to defeat the darkness that was in the room. Even though she was on there side, it wouldn't hurt to make sure that there was a way out of the place, if the battle became hopeless.  
"What do we do?" Gabrielle asked Xena.  
Xena paused to think about it, she could bearly keep her thoughts coherent, hatred of Hope was beginning to cloud her mind. She took the bone slycer from her chakram holder. Xena ominously stood up and drew back her arm.  
Everything seemed to go into silent slow motion, it was so quiet that when Xena let fly the slycer the four of them could hear the scrape of Xena's hand running off of it. Even Hope heard it, she turned around and with half of her mind she tried to deflect the slycer with limited success. She hadn't expected a psycic attack from Xena, she managed to send the slycer off course from her head to her shoulder. The slycer stuck in her and deposited U3's life-blood into her. U3's blood shot through her, she felt like her veins and arteries were on fire and eating her alive, she wasn't too far off.  
Hope knew that her energy would be gone soon and she would be dead, she had to kill the four of them quickly, or attempt to heal herself.  
Xena felt the ground move from under her feet, it wasn't splitting but it was a faint vibration. Nothing else was happeining. Cirra looked at Xena and seemed to ask if she flet it too.  
Hope called out in an imposiably low and psycotic voice, "It's time for you to die you insignificant time traveling wurm!"  
  
****  
  
Sea Dragon looked confused at one of the zombies that he was in the middle of anointing. He looked closely at the open neck of the horror. The blood sack containing the hinds' blood burst and the creature began to have a pulse.  
Sea Dragon with brow knitted called out to his cousin, "Firewings! Take a look at th-"  
That was all he got out before the zombie reached out with incredible speed and began to squeeze Sea Dragon's throat.  
Sea Dragon kept a cool head and finished the anointing while acting like he couldn't breathe. Sea Dragon savored the moment when the zombie noticed that he stopped making choking sounds and smiled at the stupid creature. By now about a dozen other zombies had crowded around him and tore at his clothes.  
The zombie's head turned to one side and tried to consider another option but his one track mind couldn't possibly fathom somthnig being so good that it wasn't affected by evil of any kind.  
Sea Dragon smiled for about a minuet as the piles of zombies amassed around him to hope to fell the priest dragon. After savoring the moment for about another minuet he uttered the final command word. "Curation!"  
The evil undead creature and all the other undead that were touching him literally jumped back from him as a gallon of holy watter spewed from the anointed marks that was on it.   
The zombies that were not touching the anointed ones were horrified as the clear liquid came down upon them much like a shower of pure hydrocloric acid. They groaned and died as the water rained down upon them. Only the most vile were not destroyed. These were the people that willingly sacrificed themselves to the dark demigod Dahok.  
The zombies that were touching the anointed ones were meraciously changed into angles! They quickly sprouted wings. Their limp dead skin healed and regenerated to it's former state and each one was adorned with a sword made of the finest silver and gold intermixing. Sea Dragon's angels quickly went to work slaughtering the masses of undead. It was in their nature to bring about goodness and grace.  
Sea Dragon smiled at his accomplishment to turn the tables on the unsuspecting demigod Dahok.  
He spoke to himself, "It's now up to you U3 of Cirra."  
  
****  
  
Hope held her cut shoulder and a warm glow eminated in her hand healing the wound. She stared at Xena and smiled an evil smile at the warrior. Xena looked back omniously at the vile creature before her.  
Cirra was suddenly and painfully knocked from her position and went tumbling over the low railing to the floor far below she began to yell about half way down when she realized that the ground was coming up quite fast.  
Callisto yelled out to Cirra but she couldn't do anything to stop the plumiting paladin. She landed on the floor, back first with a sickening crunch. Her body laid there sprawled out, motionless, eyes open to the celing, jaw half open.  
Outraged Callisto jumped down after Cirra, the muggy air became much more tolerable for the few moments when she fell. Her feet slamed into the brick floor making a bout a foot deep dent. Unphased she slowly came into a standing position, eyes locked on Hope.  
She spat out, "you..."  
Xena took out her whip and tied it to the low railing and let the other end down to the floor. Both her and Gabrielle began their decent into the area.  
Out of Callisto's eyesight Cirra moved her finger, then she made a fist.  
Hope stood there worried that she might not be able to stand an onslaught from a full god. She began to not feel so well and dropped to her knees.  
Hope called out to the priests in the pentagram, "Imbeciles! stop her!"  
The preists finally noticed the pissed off blonde moving towards their godess. Three ran to attack Callisto while the other two defended Hope. She was satisfied that they would hold Callisto off until the portal was finished so she returned to her concentration.  
Callisto quickly whipped up three fireballs and sent the attacking priests clear acrost the room into the portal that Hope was just about to finish.  
Cirra dizzily sat up to even her own surprise she was alive. She made a quick scan and noticed the shadows under the balcony that she had fallen from.   
Before she could understand what was going on clearly the shadows released their contens and the black form slamed into Callisto, topling her to the hard floor. She whiped around to see the smirking face of Aries smileing at her.  
"Callisto, "Aries smiled as he reached into his belt and drew a dagger dripping with blood, "this is your last chance to join the great god Dahok. Do not pass it up."  
She let the thought roll around in her head. There was infinante rewards with dahok, but there was humanity with the teachings of Cirra. But Cirra was dead. She brought her hands up to her head and pulled at her knotted hair. Torn between two teachings that contradicted each other. She curled up into a fetal position and screamed, long and hard.  
Anubus needed to do something to help U3. He looked the situation over. Cirra was dazed still, Callisto was going insane, Aries was watching, and the two guards were just standing there defending there godess. The Guards were enchanted with unholy strength, yet they could still be harmed.   
Anubus thought up a devious torture to give the guards to keep them from getting in the way when Cirra came to her senses. He made two swirling motions with his chained hands. The guards looked at each other wondering what was happening to them. They both began to cry out but were cut off before they could begin. Each of them had there whole respetory system, and digestive system full of salt. Spewing salt from there mouths they fell to the floor and died feeling the need to throw-up.  
Aries was too intreuged by what Callisto was trying to do to notice the guards, or Xena creeping up behind him. Before he could realize it Xena had snatched the Dagger away from him and drew her sword.  
Aries furiously smashed his beloved Xena and sent her flying backwards to the wall  
far behind her. She was knocked so severely that the dagger flew from her hands, spun in mid air and landed with a clanging sound. Aires turned to look at Callisto but she wasn't there anymore. He suddenly wanted to arm himself, now.  
He whirled himself around to get the dagger, to face Callisto. She was giving one of her trademark glares right at Aries. His heart leaped for a moment and his body soon followed. She fluttered around in a whirlwind of black leather and blonde hair to pick up the dagger and turn it on Aires before he could regain his wits.  
She straddled him and looked coldly at the god of war.  
"Where is your god now Aries!?" She threatened as she pushed the dagger ever closer to his artery, "huh?"  
Aries let his jaw stiffen ready to face death with honor but it never came... He flew open his eyelids to see Callisto moving towards Hope with the dagger.  
"I'm sending you back to dear ol' dad!" Callisto hissed.  
Hope sent a telepathic command to halt. Callisto's course wavered. She began to feel hopelessness, Anubus was dead, Cirra was dead. U3's mission had failed. Callisto sat down to watch the end of the world.   
Oh, great, she thought, now my shoulder hurts..... wait why does my-. She looked down to see what was going on. She felt for the grain of sand inside her, and remembered something that U3 had said.  
She could almost hear U3's voice perfectly, "A god's only limitation is their own imagination."  
As she thought about the statement a wave of power flowed through her. She felt like she had just fought Xena for an hour and then drank the wine of gods for refreshment.   
Hope was smiling at how pitifly the godess had been chained by her fathers will. Although, she was beginning to feel the full force of U3's blood combating against her's. It was actively seeking out her white blood cells, then the tissues and red blood cells. She rolled over onto her left side still concentrateing on Callisto. If she was going to die, she might as well take a few mortals with her.  
Hope called out, "Why don't you just stab yourself and get it over with? Dahok will be here any moment and he'll destroy you. Why not just die right now?"  
Callisto's mind began to solidify, power being channeled, White flames burned within her eyes. Hope felt immense power being channeled through her, power beginning to rival that of her father's. The mental chains that Hope had put on her were atomized, the force of the violent spell disruption blasted her mind. She cried out at the pain.   
Callisto gave a sly look at the helpless demigodess. She sauntered over to Her, gently grabbed her throat, and deftly picked her up.  
Her voice was split into two voices, one a whisper and one her own, "Tell Dahak that his reign is in jepordy."  
Hope couldn't respond even if she wanted to. U3's blood was beginning it's attack on her outer organ. Hope melted in Callisto's hand.  
Confused, Callisto grabbed harder at Hope, but it was no use she fell into a bubbling mass on the floor that began to glow green. The mass began to get smaller and smaller, but not from evaporation. It was concentrating itself.  
Callisto knew that it was gaining immense power, going through some change, but she wasn't sure what the change was.  
She moved her concentration over to the Warrior Princess sprawled out and dazed. Her precious Gabrielle had, of course, came directly to her aid. She made an association between Gabrielle and Xena with herself and Cirra. Callisto's white hate was instantly directed towards the blonde. It was her fault that her child was in existance in the first place.   
Even Gabrielle could sense Callisto's power being locked onto her. She turned around to see Callisto nurturing a fireball to wipe her and Xena off this plane of existance.  
She said in the same split voice, "It's time to re-unite you with dear, Perticus!"  
Callisto sent the white fireball from her fingertips a few dramatic moments after her statement, which was enough for Gabrielle to grab her friends' sword and use it like a bat to send the fireball back at the godess.   
It hit Callisto in the face full force, it did little more than piss her off more and singe a few hairs. She drew her sword and slashed it in mid-air not intending to hit Gabrielle, but to send Xena's blade flying end over end to imbed itself across the room up to the hilt in the wall. Callisto slammed a boot into Gabrielle's stomach, bringing her to a kneeling position.   
She knew she was going to die in this place, she had been ready for it even before she entered, but not like this. Gabrielle felt the cold steel touch the middle of her scalp for aim. It left..... and then...... A clang?  
She flew open her eyes to see Cirra in a picturesque pose.  
Her entire back was a bluish color, even her skirt. Her odd hair was limp and greasy, she was completly drenched in sweat. Even though it pained her to move she had still managed to run full speed to clash swords with Callisto in a defensive manner. She was still in that pose her right arm vibrating as a sock in a windstorm.   
Finally fatiuge engulfed her and she fell to the ground. Shocked, Callisto had stopped the full force of her blow and allowed her sword to clang to the floor.  
Callisto embraced Cirra "I thought you were dead!"  
Cirra fought to stay contious, everything flew around her, blackness all over her parifreal vision. "I... must leave you now," Cirra took in a sharp high pitched breath, "Please...."  
"NO!" Callisto viciously shook Cirra, "You stay with me!"  
"I can't feel my arms Callisto..." Cirra brought her emerald eyes up.  
Callisto's mind flashed for alternatives. She thought she saw a dull light off to her right, instinctavely she looked at it. Her eyes met the end of a blood-red dagger inches from her face.  
"You tried to kill Gabrielle again..." Xena threatened.  
Callisto snapped back, "How would you have reacted if I had succeded? You would have hacked me into a carcass." She paused to let that sink in.  
She then displayed Cirra to Xena, "How do I feel?" Callisto let herself calm down for a bit and then asked in a pathetic voice, "Can you do, something for her?.... At least ease the transition over to the underworld."  
Xena thought for a bit, It certainly would serve Callisto right if her hero died, then again, It wasn't right just to let someone die in cold blood even if it was someone Callisto admired. Xena looked at Cirra, she was begining to recede into the depths of shock.   
"This is for Cirra's sake, not yours, Callisto," Xena said with a sharp tone.   
She threw Callisto off Cirra none too gently and then moved over Cirra. Xena rolled her over onto her front. Xena let her hands fly all over Cirra's back trying to administering pressure points. Half of the ones she tried didn't work on the odd paladin, almost as if her nerves were altered. The ones that did hold only stayed for a while and then un-did themselves, almost as if she was rejecting them.  
Xena could tell that she was loosing Cirra. The damage was too extensive, her whole back was bleeding internally. Cirra's pulse slowed to a crawl... slower still... Xena looked up helplessly at Gabrielle.  
Xena explained, "I... I can't do anything for her, she.. doesn't respond to pressure points."  
Frustrated Callisto shoved Xena off her friend. She attempted to ask Athena's blessing for healing but of course it didn't come.   
Cirra's necklace pulsed an insult, "Screw Athena! You don't need her! Focus..."  
Callisto felt power rush up inside of her, her mouth went dry as she extended her hand. Her focusing came into existance again as she let her hand creep towards it's goal. The air itself rippled around her at the power that she channeled. Xena and Gabrielle could actually see the whispy extensions of Cirra's soul trying to escape, but Callisto had put a barrier arround the paladin and it was shrinking. After a full half a minuet Callisto's hand touched Cirra's back and the barrier disapeared leaving Cirra completely healed.   
Cirra violently gasped and bolted awake.  
There was complete silence as Cirra came to a kneeling position. Her eyes met Callisto's.   
Cirra gave a weak smile as her voice cracked from her's to U3's, "Thank you, Callisto... -but I'm afraid you're too late-... I'm- fighting a battle on - three fronts, light - dark, and neutral. I've - got to let U3 take over again - he's the only - one I can trust. You understand, don't you?"  
Callisto's expression drooped and became solemn, "Do you really have to let him take control? Why not one of the other two?"  
Struggling to speak Cirra said, "They would just rip me apart, U3 is..." Cirra swallowed hard, "the kinder of the three.... Thank you Callisto."  
Callisto was confused, "For what?"  
"U3 hates humans, -he always- speaks of how you are so evil and unwilling- to change your ways- You have given me much to speak other -wise of your- our species." Cirra brought Callisto close for one last embrace, "Seek out Torem, he will bring you comfort in my absence."  
Callisto said faintly, "Farewell my friend, and hero."  
Cirra's mail went taught and began to mesh. They contorted so that she became a makeshift form that looked something like U3. A silver blade shot out of the thing's back about a foot and split, three spikes growing up and one growing back. The top three grew about a half of a yard and curled whereas the bottom grew a full foot more to stop and curl. It was U3 again.  
Callisto roughly pushed U3 out of the embrace.  
U3 muttered "I guess I deserve that..."  
Callisto back to her angry self snapped, "I'd be glad to give you what's really coming to you if you want."  
Completely ignoring the threat he flatly asked, "Is there a message that you would like me to give to Cirra, Callisto?"  
Confused, Callisto asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
U3 looked cocky as he perfectly repeated in her and Cirra's voice, " 'Cirra... is.... burned to the ground? ... Why?' 'Because it was in her way, because she saw fit to be judge, jury and executioner.'"  
When he finished, he lowered his head with a serious look on his face.  
Angry, she simply glared at the dragon. Honestly, she didn't know why she had lied to her, probably because she was still skeptical of Cirra still being alive after all these years.   
Finally she broke the staring contest and said, "I don't have to explain myself to you."  
She turned around and began to leave the cursed temple.  
U3 timed it so that she was exactly halfway through the doorway when he called out, "Callisto..."  
She turned to look.  
"Forget"  
Again she was confused, "What?"  
Her confusion changed over to anger, who was he to tell her.... who was he, and how did she know that it was a he? Anger went back to confusion... at least she thought that it was back. His eyes seemed familiar... but she wasn't sure how... Right about now she felt that it would be fun to go and bury herself under rocks in front of the Sister peaks.... odd. 'Oh well, I guess if it will be fun.' she thought.  
  
****  
  
Xena and Gabrielle watched the confused godess leave their sight with amazement.   
U3 looked at the ground... "Ar5?"  
The silver appendage answered, "Don't worry U3, you've succeeded enough to make yourself happy... trust me."  
  
  



End file.
